More than five years ago, the Thresher editorial board wrote about the visual and dramatic arts department’s need for attention from the administration, specifically that it “could greatly benefit from new space and materials.” The editorial was in response to the demolition of the Art Barn, a historically significant building funded by John and Dominique de Menil.

The Rice Media Center, a historic building that hosts both Rice Cinema and the campus’ only dark room, will be torn down sometime before the end of 2020, according to Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby.

Poets Jennifer Chang and Michael Collier created an atmosphere of vulnerability and introspection with readings of their most recent work during a new installment of the Cherry Reading Series on Thursday. Both Chang and Collier painted vivid landscapes with their poetry that felt harrowingly intimate and eerily familiar to their listeners.

Tiger Noodle House is the first Asian restaurant to join the wave of newcomers to Rice Village — and it does not disappoint. A Chinese restaurant serving homestyle dishes from different regions in China, Tiger Noodle House delivers traditional flavors and large portions in a laid-back setting. One of my biggest qualms with Rice’s otherwise prime location is the lack of authentic Asian cuisines within walking distance. While the two “Asiatown” areas in Bellaire and Katy provide many solid options for Asian flavors, both are pretty far away — especially if you don’t have a car on campus.

Over 100 students, faculty and staff gathered in the central quad to protest Vice President Mike Pence’s practices, policies and values last Friday while he delivered remarks on the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

On March 16, 2019, I attended the second annual Houston March for Black Women utterly and woefully alone. I put my hoodie on, dragged myself to the car and proceeded, for the next five hours, to march for myself. I got to the march’s central point in the heart of the Fourth Ward of Houston, ready and hopeful. Though I had seen not a single post, group message, email or any organization of a Rice collective to go to the march (except for the invitations I sent, which yielded no response), I’d thought about the effervescence of ahead of January’s Women's March, and I thought surely I'd see the Rice community there. I stayed for the duration of the march and I saw not a single member of the Rice community save for the one who helped to organize the march itself.

Administrative officials are planning to tear down the Rice Media Center and remodel Sewall Hall to accomodate the lost facilities, according to an email sent by Visual and Dramatic Arts Department Chair John Sparagana.

Student protesters will organize in the Central Quad when Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Baker Institute on Friday, according to a press release by a coalition of student organizations including Rice Left and Rice Young Democrats.

Sophomore golfer Jake Benson first picked up a club when he was five years old. Hailing from Nottingham, England, Benson gained experience playing in the British Isles, where the sport originated. Before coming to Rice, he attended the Open Championship — the oldest golf tournament in the world — seven times, visiting some of the world’s finest courses, such as St. Andrews and Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Growing up, Benson says that he took inspiration from one of Europe’s best-ever golfers.

Women’s tennis will look to build on its 9-2 home record in two matches against Florida-based opponents at George R. Brown Tennis Center this weekend. Rice will battle the University of South Florida on Friday afternoon and then challenge Conference USA rival Florida International University on Sunday morning.

The Graduate Student Association claimed first place in both the alumni and women’s Beer Bike races, while McMurtry College took first in the men’s Beer Run, according to official results posted by the Rice Program Council. However, the results of the men’s and women’s races came into question as Jones challenged penalties against the pit crew during the women’s race and RPC’s reported split times indicated that a McMurtry men’s runner ran his one-third mile split in just over 20 seconds.